This invention relates to a lever operating device for a switch in which a lever is swung to operate the switch.
An example of a conventional lever operating device of this type is a lever operating device for a dimmer switch which is used to switch the high beam and the low beam of a headlight on a motor vehicle. An example of the conventional lever operating device for a dimmer switch is as shown in FIG. 4.
As shown in FIG. 4, a lever 1 is swingably mounted on a base body (not shown) through a shaft pin 2. An actuating element 3 is provided on the base body in such a manner that it is located below the lever 1 and is linearly movable to the right and to the left. An arm 4 is extended downwardly from the swing fulcrum of the lever 1. The end portion of the arm 4 is engaged with a recess 3a formed in the actuating element 3.
When the lever 1 is swung from a low beam position L indicated by the solid lines to a high beam position H indicated by the two-dot chain lines; that is, when it is swung in the direction of the arrow A, the actuating element 3 is moved in the direction of the arrow C. On the other hand, when it is swung from the high beam position H to the low beam position L; i.e., when it is swung in the direction of the arrow B, the actuating element 3 is moved in the direction of the arrow D. As the actuating element 3 is moved in this manner, the dimmer switch is operated, so that the low beam of the headlight is switched over to the high beam, or vice versa.
In order to operate the dimmer switch, the actuating element 3 should move a certain distance S. The movement distance S of the actuating element 3 depends on the swing displacement R of the end portion of the arm 4, and the former S is substantially equal to the latter R.
On the other hand, for the operability of the lever, it is not practical to set the swing angle .alpha. between the high beam position H and the low beam position L to a large value. Hence, in order to move the activating body 3 the predetermined distance S by swinging the lever 1 through a small swing angle .alpha., it is necessary that the arm 4 is large in length E. This means that the lever 1 should be spaced greatly away from the actuating element 3. Therefore, the resultant dimmer switch is large in vertical thickness as a whole; that is, it is unavoidably large in size.